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I had this thought the other day.

As I was writing my review of the Rock Island XT-22, I realized I’d gone off on a bit of a tangent. I left it in, but I thought I’d expand a bit on my thoughts in this article.

The people that are wrong.

The “1911’s suck” crowd is a subset of the people that think that only the most recent generations of firearms will do for personal defense. And, for many, not just any modern firearm will do: it has to be 9mm. You’ll hear about how, back in the bad old days, 9mm may not have been all that effective but more recent bullet designs have made them far better than they used to be. That is a true statement. They seem oblivious to the fact that those same bullet advancements have been applied to calibers other than 9mm. Like .45 ACP, .38 Special, or .357 magnum.

I mentioned a couple revolver calibers up there, which is also anathema to some. I have a different view. Some of this is because of what I call the Cult of Capacity. I think it’s great that there are easily concealable options out there that have 10+ rounds. I also think we’re mostly smart people out here and can figure out for ourselves what we’re comfortable carrying. If that’s a five or six round revolver then that’s up to us and those that would criticize us for it need to take a step back and check their own attitudes.

Then there’s the whole, striker vs hammer, thing.

Seriously, who cares? I have a slight preference for hammer. I like to ride the hammer with my thumb as I holster the gun. That way if something gets in the trigger guard, I have tactile feedback telling me to stop. But I’m not a fanatic about it. As of two days ago, I owned an M&P Shield and a Springfield XDM. Both would be considered, “modern, striker-fired guns.” I only occasionally carry the Shield these days, but it was my daily carry for years.

The primer doesn’t care if it was hit with a striker or a firing pin pushed by a hammer. Why should I?

The worst of it is that they’re not totally out to lunch.

They’re just inflexible and prone to overstatement. For example: “A 9mm will always allow you to get more shots on target faster than a .40 or .45.” Always? Here’s one of my rules: sentences that contain “always” or “never” are almost always wrong. Or almost never right, if you prefer. It’s that certitude in their own opinions that bothers me.

When I bought my M&P Shield years ago, I did try the .40 S&W version of it. I shot it back-to-back with the 9mm one I ended up buying. The .40 was noticeably snappier and I had more trouble getting back on target after each shot. On the other hand, I’ve fired Sig P229’s in each caliber back-to-back. The recoil difference was marginal. I didn’t have a shot timer on hand, but my subjective view is that there wasn’t enough difference to make a difference.

The important thing is that I just described my experience. Might you have a different one? Sure. And whose experience should you go by? Yours, of course. My job here is to give my experience and perspective and let you take it for what it’s worth, not to tell you what to do. I think some writers and video presenters have a different view.

I always encourage people to borrow or rent guns if they can. Try them. See what feels right to you. I’ve already mentioned shooting the same gun in two calibers. During that process I also shot a Springfield XD-S back-to-back with the Shield. I was slightly better with the Shield so that’s what I bought.

Another example was a Beretta PX4 Storm. On paper, I should love this gun. Hammer-fired, DA/SA, Beretta, and 9mm, what’s not to love? The gun. I rented one and just didn’t like it. I couldn’t even tell you why; it just didn’t work for me. I’ve sure it’s a fine weapon and I know people who love theirs but it’s not for me.

Do I have a problem with modern 9mm’s?

Nope. I think they’re great. Earlier, I said, “as of two days ago,” when I was talking about my current striker guns. Yesterday I bought a Sig P365. It’s a very small, striker-fired 9mm that has a 10 + 1 capacity. It’s slightly smaller than my Shield that has either seven or eight round capacity. It also feels better in my hand than the Smith. That is one thing I’m certain has gotten better these days: handgun grips. This is an area where technological advances are a good thing.

I haven’t shot it yet so I can’t speak to that yet. I will say that the gun store had the 365, a 365 XL, a Ruger Max 9, and a Springfield Hellcat available. I was able to handle and dry fire them all, but no range was available for shoot testing. Still, the 365 felt the best so that’s what I went with, even though the others had a one or two round higher capacity. Having said that, I’m pretty sure there’s an XL in my future.

I just don’t see why anyone has a problem with older designs.  The picture below is a Ruger Security Six.  It’s perfectly viable and it was last produced 1988.  I will say it did not come with those grips; it came with the old, wooden ones.  Took one range trip to change those out; how did we shoot with those?

Well. Mostly.

The picture below is my grandfather’s shotgun. Aside from the fact that it’s a single shot, I’m 58 years old and have never seen this gun fired. And I never will. Even if I could find 16-gauge ammo, which I can’t, I sure as hell wouldn’t load it up and shoot it. It’s an heirloom, nothing more. And yes; that’s the same tape that’s been on there my whole life.  Also, does anyone know what that lever on the side is?  The top lever breaks the action and I can’t figure out what that other one does.  It doesn’t seem to affect the trigger at all.

Having said that, some heirlooms may be perfectly useful. Obviously, before I decided to use a WW II gun, I’d want to have it thoroughly inspected and, if possible, test fired by a competent professional. But if it checks out why not use it?

When I was a kid, my great-uncle had an original Colt SAA from the 19th century. We did not fire that gun. I was privileged to be able to handle it. He did have a modern replica, however, and we shot the hell out of that thing. Would a SAA replica be my first choice for a defensive handgun? Oh, hell no. If it’s all I had, would I load it up? You betcha.

I have a Taurus Judge. Not really my first choice for defensive purposes, although it makes a great snake gun. Anyway, it’s in my safe, loaded with .410 slugs because I think they’re the best defensive round for it. When I hike, I put in .410 bird shot.

Confidence matters.

I’ve also pointed out previously that my 1911 feels better in my hand than any other gun I have. That means something. As Napoleon once said, “The moral is to the physical as three is to one.” Actually, that is not word for word and it’s somewhat more complex, but it’s often abbreviated like that and it works for modern brains.

Anyway, a good gun you believe you can use well is going to be better than the perfect, “modern, striker-fired” gun that you may not have confidence in. If you’re a “because they don’t make a .46” kind of person, then carry a .45 ACP. If you think 1911’s are awesome, then carry one. If you think a P365 or Hellcat are the greatest things, then get one. It’s about what works for you.

As for me, I trust my 1911 and my Shield. And my P229 and my SP2022. And my J-frame. I can carry any of them with confidence.

Conclusion.

The answer to my initial heading is, yes. Of course they are. There is a human tendency to confuse “latest” with “greatest.” While that is often true, that doesn’t mean the prior generations of a product have become useless. A 9mm is a 9mm, a .357 is a .357, and a .45 ACP is a .45 ACP. The projectile doesn’t care if it was launched from a 6-month-old gun or a 60-year-old gun. It doesn’t care if the primer was hit with a striker or hammer. Whether the hammer was cocked manually or through a double-action trigger is meaningless.

Modern guns don’t make the rounds more effective; they just make it easier to fire them faster and more accurately. That’s nothing to sneeze at. Faster, more accurate shooting is a good thing. I just try to not get so caught up in what’s new and awesome that I forget that my lever action rifle or my Ruger Security Six are still perfectly adequate defensive firearms.